Down to Earth
by Paul Weitz, Chris Weitz
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Chazz Palminteri, Chris Rock, Eugene Levy, Frankie Faison, Regina KingDirector: Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; French (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; English (Subtitled)
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 87 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2001-07-10
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Paramount
Movie Reviews of Down to Earth
Movie Review: Chris Stone More Like It
Summary: 3 Stars
I have to agree with another reviewer and confess that "Down to Earth" is definitely not Chris Rock's best movie. He was much funnier and much better in many other movies, though I would not level the degree of criticism at "Down to Earth" that others have.
First off, the plot is pretty thin, not to mention the fact that it has been flogged like a dead horse even before this movie came out. With some thin changes, the plot still comes of a bit on the weak side. Basically, a well meaning, but failing comedian gets snuffed ten seconds before his impending death on the front of a moving truck. Due to the Angel of Death's merciful mistake, the comedian gets reincarnted into another body: rich, aging, white guy. The antics of this major shift in perspective supply the majority of the gags, some of which are amusing, but hardly gut-wrenching.
This movie is nothing if not predictable, and there are some famous faces whose talents are pretty much squandered in it. After all, it is a romantic comedy, and there is not much to be expected in surprises. In some places, it just comes off as corny, but it does not negatively impact on the movie overall. In the end, one would not choose this for its "surprise factor" and major plot twists.
The humour itself is pretty weak over all, but generally is worth a giggle or two in places. The shock of Charles Wellington coming back to life after his wife and executive killed him was pretty cool as a scene. While none of the humour was really enough to bring tears to the eyes, it was not all that bad. Amusing, but not much more.
All in all, "Down to Earth" is a predictable, safe and amusing romantic comedy. I don't think there are any illusions to greatness here, and it makes a nice little movie to sit down and zone out to. I had a small giggle, but I would not recommend buying it. It is not really worth multiple viewings.
Summary of Down to Earth
A tepid reworking of Warren Beatty's Heaven Can Wait (itself a remake of 1941's Here Comes Mr. Jordan), Down to Earth tries to mold comedian Chris Rock into an amiable romantic lead, but it softens the scathingly observant humor that made Rock a standup successor to Richard Pryor. Rock's aggressive style is bracingly expressed in a few good scenes, but through most of this movie--from the directors of American Pie--he struggles with dialogue that would barely pass muster in a low-rated sitcom. Edgy potential loses out to crowd-pleasing with the familiar body-switch formula: by way of premature death and bad timing on the part of heaven's Vegas-styled gatekeepers (played by Eugene Levy and Chazz Palminteri), Rock--as struggling comedian Lance Barton--is reincarnated as a 55-year-old white billionaire with a nasty reputation.Adjusting (too easily) to his racial transition, Lance charms a hospital administrator (Regina King) who's amazed to see the selfish white billionaire turning into romantic philanthropist. This allows plenty of black/white-contrast jokes (did you ever see a fat, middle-aged white guy who's into hip-hop?), and Rock, who cowrote the screenplay, still manages to work some pointed politics into the movie's good-natured tone. It's guaranteed that some will find Down to Earth quite entertaining, but others will wonder how potent this comedy could have been if Rock had been more willing to confront the harsher truths that lurk beneath the humor. --Jeff Shannon
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